Ayuntamiento de Aracena

Historical notes
The first known human settlements dating from prehistoric times. There are archaeological remains in the Cueva de la Mora in the village of Umbria dating from the megalithic culture (III millennium BC). The mineral wealth of the area has led to several settlements, including the village of Castañuela in which there are two different cultures, one belonging to the Bronze Age (second millennium BC) and another to the Iron Age (mid-I millennium BC).

Also, the mines were the cause of Roman settlements in the third century, creating small cores that supported agricultural settlement and that would probably be the origin of Aracena and several towns in the area.

From the Islamic period was the first fort was built on the remains of which Castle Aracena. Castle in the Church emphasizes the Almohad tower. Around this building was erected in the village population, giving rise to the current urban landscape of the town of Aracena. In this era depended County Niebla.

The Christian conquest carried out by the Portuguese King Sancho II at the beginning of the thirteenth century, sought to turn the region into the High Sierra Algarve. The intervention of the Saint Ferdinand III and his son Alfonso X the Wise Aracena opted to become part of the kingdom of Seville in 1255 as the lands of Castile. At the end of the thirteenth century the king Sancho IV begins to restock the area with Leonese-Asturian and Galician, and built a fortress on the hill, as opposed to defensive enclave neighboring kingdom of Portugal, and entrusted its defense to the order of Santiago

Aracena continued to grow since the Cerro del Castillo to the valley during the Middle Ages and Modern Age, as a Royal during the fourteenth century Priory and Lordship under the jurisdiction of the Conde Duque de Olivares, in the seventeenth century, and later Count Altamira, who is entitled Prince of Aracena.

Figures of the era were the humanist Benito Arias Montano, who founded a chair in Aracena Latinos in 1597, an outbreak of culture until the late nineteenth century, and Sister Maria de la Trinidad, mystic and poet, founder of the Convent of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in 1671.

In 1833 with the new administrative division, Aracena is segregated from Seville and becomes part of the province of Huelva.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Aracena takes a strong momentum and expanded the urban perimeter of the flat area, which built houses and major buildings such as the City of Santa Catalina, the Casino de Arias Montano, the Abastos Square, etc.. The discovery in 1886 of the Cave of Wonders, packaging and subsequent tour in 1914, coupled with the softness of the summer temperatures and the holidays of many members of the Spanish royal family turned the city into a major tourist center.

The civil war and the first period after Autarchy end of 50 years, make the capital of the agricultural crisis and the primary sector of the economy mountain. Major changes occurred in the social structure and Aracena becomes city services. The improvement of road communications and the declaration of protected natural areas in the Natural Park Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, Aracena and make their villages in a prime tourist destination, where, in perfect harmony, the traditional and modern.

In 1956, Aracena was declared a city attractions and now much of its urban area is protected by a special plan.

In 2006, was honored as Aracena Resort Municipality of Andalusia, being the only town onubense having this recognition.

History enlarged Aracena (More)
The historical study of Aracena has a number of problems due to the scarcity of documentary sources, whether written or archaeological. Different eras are unclear, so we will try to outline, with a series of data, the various events that have comprised the local history of the mountainous capital.

The oldest archaeological finds of the region are made in the Cueva de la Mora in Jabugo, dating from the Upper Palaeolithic, but in Calcolithic or Copper Age, when the population is around Aracena. This period is characterized primarily by megalithic burial sites, among which we highlight the necropolis of Monte Acosta. During this period, which is developed along the Millennium III a. C. There are also workshops and habitat lithics as the Cave of Umbria or Pantano.

The next step called cultural or Bronze Bronze House of Southwest, which is chronologically the middle of the second millennium a. C. is one of the best represented in prehistory mountain. Some villages are now known (Trastejón, Papua, castanets, Bujarda) but so far, the sites that have served as a reference has been the necropolis of Cîteaux. These graves are rectangular or polygonal pits covered with slabs of slate, which placed the deceased and the funeral trousseau. Represent the transformation of collective burial Calcolithic to the individual.

The site is the most representative castanets, situated about 4 km from Aracena, near the village that gives it its name. It can distinguish 2 phases of chronology and cultures very different House and Bronze Age of Iron II.

After this period with strong roots in the area, the time it happens Oriental, which in this region does not have a great development, unlike elsewhere in the province, where the culture is tartésica early I millennium . C. The void population in the region is mountainous tapped from s. V a. C., by the people from the Plateau to settle in the Sierra de Aracena. These are the populations that inhabit the Céltici Celtic Baeturia cited by Roman geographers Strabo and Pliny. Again Castañuela is the best known archaeological site from this period. This town of Iron Age II tells us about their lifestyle based on agriculture, livestock and mining-metallurgy.

Romanization of the area near Aracena starts from the first century A. C. being the oldest settlements, mining operations. The wealth of metals in the area found themselves among the centuries I and II d. C. continue to expand settlements and Romans. This implementation is based on Roman farms such as San Miguel del Monte o Urraca and in mining towns like Los Villares. These Roman villas could be the origin of the town of Aracena and some of their villages (The Umbria Valdezufre or Jabuguillo). Some authors think that the name comes from the name of the Aracena former owner Roman fundo: Aretius or Arcius (aretiena or Arciena) based on the ENA-ending-is common in place names to indicate ownership or possession.

From s. III d. C. due to the crisis of production in mining, urban abandoned, scattered population into small units in rural areas. The introduction of Christianity is due to the absence of population control that exists in the Sierra de Aracena. Creating centers of initiation and monasticism, among which would be the highlight of Peña Alajar, Almonaster, Hinojales or the hermitage of San Salvador in Puerto Moral.

Islamic period of very few remains have been preserved, highlighting some strengths, towers and villages throughout the term. Is told that the name could be Aracena Medina Arsene, Great Clazen or Harrazen, but these names are not identified by any source Muslim. Yes you can identify with the district or Iqlim Islamic Qartasana of Cora Seville. Undoubtedly there Andalusí population in Castle Hill, as evidenced by the archaeological and written sources. Al-Rasi says as Aracena was destroyed before the century X. Of the population before the Islamic conquest Portuguese only remains, but can be inferred that there was a village Almohad around a small tapial defense. Population fell under the realm taifa Fog in the 1st half of the thirteenth century.

The crisis in the state of rebellion and Almohad king taifa Fog, Ibn Mahfot led to the occupation of Aroche Aracena and between 1230 and 1233 by the Portuguese King Sancho II, with the help of the Order of the Hospital, led by Perez Farinha. The problem originated succession between monarch and his brother Alfonso III, led to the intervention of Ferdinand III and his son, the future Alfonso X, who applied for Castilla these territories, which gives rise to conflict in the Algarve. " Aracena becomes part of the kingdom of Seville in 1255 as lands, by an agreement between Portugal and Castile, being entrusted its defense to the Order of Santiago, but the popular tradition, based on historians of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, advocates myth of the Templars.

The area had to be semidespoblada until 1291/93, when recruitment starts and building castles on the part of Sancho IV. These castles were integrated into the fortified line of "Banda Gallega, protecting Sevilla Portuguese possible penetrations.

Restocking Aracena conducted by Leon and Galicia, although there was also a Jewish community, was not successful until the beginning of the fifteenth century, because of the demographic crisis of the last century as a result of epidemics and conflicts with Portugal. With the increase of population was the process of exceeding its residents, the fence walls of the castle, which was extended by the people of the hill slopes, resulting in a suburb. Of the total residents, half was distributed in over 30 villages in the municipality. Some of these villages were transformed, and in modern times and contemporary independent municipalities, while others disappeared at different times.

Aracena was in the late fifteenth century, the most populous jurisdiction in the province of Huelva. During the s. XVI, is an abandoned house located inside the walls of the castle, which is used to procure construction materials, as the people has reached the hillside, making the Plaza Alta in the town center .

After being confirmed in his possession by the treaty of Castilla Alcañices, Aracena constitutes Priorato Real during the fourteenth century, under the crown, until a breakthrough in the jurisdiction or in the XVI and XVII, alienate the heritage real. In 1640, Aracena and villages are part, as a dominion, the jurisdiction of the Conde Duque de Olivares to rely during the eighteenth century Count of Altamira who is entitled Prince of Aracena.

During the Modern Age, Aracena acquires great significance, being the core of any major region, as described at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Rodrigo Caro: "The first is that we are given the town of Aracena, which is the largest metropolis and the Sierra that it took this name. "

The most charismatic figures of that era were Benito Arias Montano, director of Philip II, who retired on numerous occasions in this region and Sister Maria de la Trinidad, mystic who founded the Convent of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The starting point of a new era that is developed during the nineteenth century, the War of Independence, the circumstances of war disrupted life in the city. Once the war and after the stage absolutist Ferdinand VII, establishing the liberal regime which introduces a territorial division where Aracena is segregated from Sevilla in 1883 to move to the newly created province of Huelva. A year later becomes head of the judicial district of the same name.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the city will charge a strong momentum, examples include the construction of the Plaza del Pilar, the bullring, Ayala theater, the Plaza de Abastos, the Municipality of Santa Catalina Casino Arias Montano or reception building of the Cave of Wonders, which opens to the public in 1914. Much of this momentum is due to the Sanchez family Dalp and especially its main member, Francisco Javier Sanchez Dalp which held the distinction of Marques de Aracena and was deputy for 24 years.

During the years of dictatorship, Aracena consolidated as tourist, thanks to the Grotto. A fact which allowed the urban development has been completed in 80 years with the Museum of Contemporary Art Outdoor "Andalusia".

The boom in tourism in recent years has made in regards Aracena tourism Andalusian interior. The merger monumental and natural heritage which offers the visitor has to be appointed Aracena Resort Municipality of Andalusia in 2006, being the only municipality that has onubense this recognition.